Hardwick injured, another OL steps in

San Diego Chargers vs. Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium. Rich Orhnberger replaced Nick Hardwick after an injury in the first half. Chad Rinehart motions to him in the second quarter.
Sean m. Haffey

CINCINNATI  Player after player walked, ran and floated off the field after the Chargers’ 27-10 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals in Sunday’s Wild Card playoff game.

They shouted and high-fived fans and hugged each other.

In the midst of the parade walked center Nick Hardwick, smiling but rigid in his posture, a faraway look in his eyes.

“Awesome,” Hardwick said, with his customary preceding expletive for emphasis, when asked what it was like to watch the majority of Sunday’s Wild Card playoff victory from the sideline after aggravating a two-months-old neck stinger while making a block in the first quarter.

Hardwick was sincerely happy about the victory, but there is nothing like actually playing. And by the difficulty with which he answered questions, it was clear he was devastated to have not been on the field as a bigger part of this win he waited so long to happen.

“We just won a playoff game as a team,” he said. “It doesn’t get any better than that.”

He paused before every answer, and his eyes were full. It was a compelling mix of elation and disappointment.

It would be impossible to question Hardwick’s devotion to the team concept, but one teammate summed up Hardwick’s pain and his own empathy for him.

“I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for Nick,” Antonio Gates said, adding the names of the small group of six veterans who have been Chargers for at least the past for seven seasons. “… Not to take anything away from the other guys, but the guys who have been here and paid that price. You don’t really understand how (Hardwick) felt when he went out, because it means so much to him to be in the game.”

Hardwick, in his 10th season, is the only Chargers offensive lineman to have started every game since the start of 2010. He missed 25 snaps in one game this season, when he suffered the initial stinger against Denver on Nov. 10, and nine snaps in another game when the injury flared.

“We hadn’t played that long without Nick,” Rivers said. “Give a lot of credit to Rich Ohrnberger.”

Indeed.

Aside from a communication issue on a delay-of-game penalty at the 1-yard line, there were no glaring mistakes.

As has happened so often this season, a reserve offensive lineman had to step in for a starter – and did so admirably.

In fact, 10 different players have played on the line this season. Ohrnberger started at right guard against Dallas in Week Four, one of eight different starters at the five line spots.

“You try to make it so there isn’t a missing beat,” Ohrnberger said. “Today worked out … I’m just happy I was prepared and able to fill some big shoes -- not quite as good as he would have done, but I worked hard at it, and I’m happy we got the win.”